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Presidential Medal of Freedom Recipient Richard Lee Petty
RICHARD LEE PETTY
Awarded by
President George Bush
December 11, 1992
In the World of stock car racing, there is only one King. Richard Petty is more than racing's monarch, he is an American legend. From humble beginnings in Level Cross, North Carolina, Number 43 became one of racing's finest--and fastest. Winning a record 200 races and seven Daytona 500 victories, Richard Petty found freedom at 175 miles per hour. The United States honors this American hero for exemplifying the dreams, dedication, and drive that make this Nation great.
King Richard
Richard Lee Petty
Birthday: July 2, 1937
Hometown: Level Cross, NC
Height: 6’2”
Weight: 180 lbs.
Wife: Lynda Owens Petty
Children : Kyle Petty, Sharon Petty Farlow, Lisa Petty Luck, Rebecca Petty Moffitt
Grandchildren : Adam Kyle Petty, Austin Kemp Petty, Montgomery Lee Petty, Hannah Gayle Farlow, Maggie Ruth Farlow, Kyle Victor Farlow, Richard Samuel Luck, Sarah Miller Luck, Margaret Dare Luck, Helen Lindsley Moffitt, Thaddeus Drake Moffitt
Career Highlights:
200 Career NASCAR Winston Cup victories.
Seven time NASCAR Winston Cup Champion. (1964, ’67, ’71, ’72, ’74, ’75, ’79)
Seven Daytona 500 victories. (1964, ’66, ’71, ’73, ’74, ’79, ’81)
27 victories in one season. (1967)
Entered in 1,185 races in his NASCAR Winston Cup career.
Winston Cup Rookie of the Year 1959.
1971 Driver of the Year.
Became the sport's first million dollar driver after the Dixie 500 on August 1, 1971 in Atlanta, GA.
Inducted into the North Carolina Athletic Hall of Fame in 1973.
National Motorsports Press Association (NMPA) Driver of the Year in 1974 and 1975.
Nine -time winner of the Most Popular Winston Cup Driver Award. (1962, ’64, ’68, ’70, ’74, ’75, ’76, ’77, ’78)
Competed in 513 consecutive NASCAR Winston Cup races. The 18-year streak lasted from 1971 - 1989.
Received Medal of Freedom, highest civilian award in 1992.
Claimed his first victory as a car owner in 1996 in the Dura Lube 500 at Phoenix with Bobby Hamilton.
AARWBA's 1995 Man of the Year for contributions on and off the track.
Recipient of the NMPA's Myers Brothers Award in 1964, 1967, 1971 and 1992 for significant contribution to the sport.
Inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in 1997.
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Medal History
